By Patricia Male
The Governance, Elections, Advocacy Research Services –GEARS- Initiative Zambia says the implication of the decision and resolution by the Patriotic Front to hold its National Congress by mid next year while allowing former republican President Edgar Lungu to continue as party president means the former president will not be able to receive and access his retirement benefits.
The Central Committee of the Patriotic Front has resolved to hold an extra ordinary general conference by June 2022 to elect a new party president who will take over from President Lungu and other party positions.
GEARS Executive Director MacDonald Chipenzi explains that this is so because the law does not allow a former president who still remains in active partisan politics to access and receive his retirement benefits.
Mr. Chipenzi adds that if Mr. Lungu is allowed to receive his benefits while in active partisan politics, it will be against the former president’s benefits act.
He has however welcomed the PF members of the central committee to hold its National Congress mid next year to elect a new president to take over from president Lungu especially that no one has been endorsed by the committee for the position of president as was ahead of the august general election.
PHOENIX NEWS